Maxygen
A biotechnology company that used directed evolution and DNA-shuffling technologies to develop improved protein therapeutics, enzymes, and agricultural products.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
2requests
1companies- Anthropic2
- Profile
- 2
- Controversies
- 0
- JSON · MD
- 0
- First read
- Nov 4, 2026
- Latest read
- Nov 4, 2026
From this site's server log
Overview
Maxygen was a biotechnology company established in 1997 to commercialize protein-engineering technologies based on directed evolution, DNA shuffling, and related recombination methods. The company was founded by biotechnology entrepreneur Alejandro Zaffaroni together with Willem P.C. Stemmer, Russell Howard, and Isaac Stein. Its core MolecularBreeding platform generated large libraries of variant genes and proteins, which could then be screened for useful characteristics such as improved activity, stability, expression, pharmacology, or manufacturing performance. The approach sought to reproduce, under controlled laboratory conditions, the variation and selection processes associated with natural evolution. The company initially worked on engineered interferons and other protein products, but its potential applications extended well beyond human therapeutics. Maxygen pursued opportunities in biopharmaceuticals, agriculture, veterinary medicine, industrial enzymes, and chemical processing. In 2000, it acquired Danish biotechnology company Profound Pharma A/S to strengthen its protein-engineering and drug-development capabilities. That same year, Maxygen became a public company during a period when several directed-evolution and protein-engineering firms, including Diversa, Applied Molecular Evolution, and Genencor International, were attracting public-market interest. Rather than develop every application internally, Maxygen created or supported specialized corporate vehicles. Codexis was established in 2002 to focus on enzymes and chemical processes, while MaxyAg was formed for agricultural applications and was later renamed Verdia. DuPont acquired Verdia in 2004. Maxygen also established Avidia in 2003 to develop engineered protein subunits and therapeutics; Amgen acquired Avidia in 2006. These transactions demonstrated how Maxygen’s platform could be separated into focused businesses and monetized through strategic acquisitions. Maxygen’s own later-stage portfolio centered on engineered therapeutic proteins. Its MAXY-VII recombinant factor VIIa program was sold to Bayer HealthCare in 2008. The company also advanced MAXY-G34, a pegylated granulocyte colony-stimulating factor intended to treat chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. MAXY-G34 entered clinical trials in 2006. Another program, MAXY-4, was a preclinical CTLA4-immunoglobulin fusion protein intended for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. In 2009, Maxygen formed Perseid Therapeutics, a joint venture with Astellas Pharma, to develop products using much of Maxygen’s technology and intellectual property. Astellas later exercised an option to acquire Perseid outright. MAXY-4 became known as ASP2408 under Astellas and was positioned as a potential competitor to Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Orencia. The transaction reduced Maxygen’s direct operating role in one of its principal therapeutic programs. By 2013, Maxygen was a struggling developer with limited remaining assets and a board-approved plan to liquidate and dissolve the company. Chief executive and chief financial officer James Sulat left by the end of June 2013, and Maxygen filed a certificate of dissolution on August 29, 2013. A later Maxygen LLC sought to revive the name and the original MolecularBreeding platform as a provider of directed-evolution services. That successor organization operated from California but ceased operations in the state in December 2023. Maxygen is therefore best understood as a defunct biotechnology brand with a legacy spanning protein engineering, biopharmaceutical development, agricultural biotechnology, and industrial biocatalysis.
History
Maxygen was founded in 1997 in the San Francisco Bay Area by Alejandro Zaffaroni, Willem P.C. Stemmer, Russell Howard, and Isaac Stein. Zaffaroni was an experienced biotechnology entrepreneur associated with several earlier life-sciences ventures, while Stemmer was known for work on DNA shuffling and directed molecular evolution. Maxygen was created to turn these methods into a commercial platform for improving proteins and other biological molecules. The company’s principal technology, called MolecularBreeding, generated genetic diversity by recombining related genes and then screened the resulting variants for desirable properties. Unlike conventional drug discovery, which often begins with a naturally occurring molecule and modifies it incrementally, the platform could explore very large numbers of related sequences. Potential applications included therapeutic proteins, enzymes, agricultural traits, and industrial chemicals. Early work included protein engineering and interferon-related programs. Maxygen expanded its capabilities in 2000 through the acquisition of Profound Pharma A/S, a Danish company founded by Christian Karsten Hansen and Jan Møller Mikkelsen. The same year, Maxygen became publicly traded during a period of strong investor interest in directed evolution and industrial biotechnology. Its competitive environment included Diversa, Applied Molecular Evolution, Genencor International, and Enchira Biotechnology. Maxygen also entered licensing and collaboration arrangements, including an agreement involving Novo Nordisk and a license to H. Lundbeck, although the specific licensed compound is not identified in the available material. A major part of Maxygen’s strategy was to place different applications of its platform into focused businesses. In 2002, it established Codexis for enzyme and chemical-process applications and MaxyAg for agricultural biotechnology. MaxyAg was subsequently renamed Verdia, and DuPont acquired Verdia in 2004. In 2003, Maxygen founded Avidia to develop engineered protein subunits and therapeutic products. Amgen acquired Avidia in 2006. These spinouts and acquisitions gave Maxygen a way to commercialize platform applications without retaining all of the operating and development responsibilities within the parent company. The original company continued to pursue human therapeutics. Its clinical portfolio included MAXY-G34, an engineered, pegylated granulocyte colony-stimulating factor intended to reduce chemotherapy-induced neutropenia; the program entered clinical trials in 2006. MAXY-4 was a preclinical CTLA4-immunoglobulin fusion protein program for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disorders. In 2008, Maxygen transferred MAXY-VII, a recombinant factor VIIa candidate, to Bayer HealthCare. In 2009, Maxygen and Astellas created Perseid Therapeutics as a joint venture to exploit much of Maxygen’s proprietary technology and intellectual property. Astellas later exercised an option to acquire Perseid fully. MAXY-4 became ASP2408 under Astellas and was described as a potential competitor to Orencia, Bristol-Myers Squibb’s CTLA4-Ig therapy. This arrangement marked a further shift from Maxygen directly developing programs toward partnering and asset transactions. By 2013, Maxygen was described as a struggling protein-pharmaceutical developer. Its board chose liquidation and dissolution, and chief executive and chief financial officer James Sulat departed by the end of June. The company sought a buyer for MAXY-G34 but ultimately filed a certificate of dissolution on August 29, 2013. The original Maxygen, Inc. ceased operations. The name was later revived by Maxygen LLC in 2017. The successor focused on providing directed-evolution services based on the original MolecularBreeding platform and operated from California locations including Sunnyvale and Newark. That entity ceased operations in California in December 2023. The available record does not establish a continuing operating company under the Maxygen name after that date.
- 2023
Maxygen LLC ceases California operations
[1]The successor organization stops operating in California in December.
- 2017
Maxygen LLC revives the platform
[1]A successor entity begins offering directed-evolution services using the MolecularBreeding platform.
- 2013
Maxygen dissolves
[1]After announcing a liquidation plan, Maxygen files a certificate of dissolution on August 29.
- 2011
Astellas takes full control of Perseid
[1]Astellas exercises an option to acquire Perseid and assumes control of the MAXY-4 program, renamed ASP2408.
- 2009
Perseid Therapeutics is formed
[1]Maxygen and Astellas establish a joint venture to develop products based on Maxygen’s platform and intellectual property.
- 2008
MAXY-VII is transferred to Bayer
[1]Maxygen sells its recombinant factor VIIa candidate to Bayer HealthCare.
- 2006
Avidia is acquired by Amgen
[1]Amgen acquires Avidia and its engineered-protein development capabilities.
- 2006
MAXY-G34 enters clinical trials
[1]The MAXY-G34 granulocyte colony-stimulating factor candidate begins clinical testing for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.
- 2004
Verdia is sold to DuPont
[1]MaxyAg, later renamed Verdia, is sold to DuPont.
- 2003
Avidia is established
[1]Maxygen launches Avidia to develop engineered protein subunits and therapeutic products.
Products and positioning
A platform biotechnology company focused on using molecular evolution and protein recombination to create improved biologics, enzymes, and agricultural products.
Directed evolution platform · 1997
MolecularBreeding
Maxygen’s core platform used DNA recombination, sequence diversification, and high-throughput screening to produce and identify improved variants of genes and proteins. The technology was applied across therapeutic proteins, enzymes, agricultural biotechnology, and chemical processing. It was designed to generate extensive molecular diversity and select candidates with commercially useful characteristics.
Biopharmaceutical candidate · 2006
MAXY-G34
MAXY-G34 was a novel pegylated granulocyte colony-stimulating factor intended to treat chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. The program entered clinical trials in 2006 and remained one of Maxygen’s principal remaining therapeutic assets during the company’s 2013 liquidation process.
Autoimmune-disease biologic candidate
MAXY-4
MAXY-4 was a preclinical CTLA4-immunoglobulin fusion protein intended for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. Following the formation and later sale of Perseid Therapeutics to Astellas, the program became known as ASP2408 and was positioned as a potential competitor to Orencia.
Coagulation-factor biologic candidate · 2008
MAXY-VII
MAXY-VII was Maxygen’s recombinant form of clotting factor VIIa. The candidate was transferred to Bayer HealthCare in 2008 for further development and commercial exploitation.
Brand decisions
2013
Liquidate and dissolve the companyStrategyBackground
Maxygen was described as a struggling protein-pharmaceutical developer with limited remaining development assets.
Action taken
The board chose to liquidate and dissolve the company while seeking a buyer for MAXY-G34. James Sulat left his chief executive and chief financial officer roles by the end of June.
Aftermath
Maxygen filed a certificate of dissolution on August 29, 2013, ending the original company’s operations.
2009
Form Perseid Therapeutics with AstellasM&ABackground
Maxygen wanted to exploit its proprietary technology and intellectual property through a vehicle with a major pharmaceutical partner.
Action taken
Maxygen and Astellas created Perseid Therapeutics, with Maxygen retaining majority ownership initially.
Aftermath
Astellas later exercised an option to acquire Perseid fully, including the MAXY-4 program, which became ASP2408.
2008
Transfer MAXY-VII to Bayer HealthCareM&ABackground
Maxygen sought strategic partners and transactions to advance engineered therapeutic candidates beyond its own development capacity.
Action taken
Maxygen sold or transferred its recombinant factor VIIa candidate MAXY-VII to Bayer HealthCare.
Aftermath
Bayer became responsible for further development and commercialization of the candidate; the available material does not state the subsequent clinical or commercial outcome.
2002
Separate platform applications into focused businessesStrategyBackground
Maxygen’s MolecularBreeding technology had potential applications in industrial enzymes, chemicals, agriculture, and therapeutics, each requiring different commercial capabilities.
Action taken
The company established Codexis for enzyme and chemical applications and MaxyAg for agriculture, while separately developing Avidia for engineered protein therapeutics in 2003.
Aftermath
The structure enabled later strategic transactions, including the sale of Verdia to DuPont and the acquisition of Avidia by Amgen.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/maxygen · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled